1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to the supporting of anti-friction bearings, particularly within cast or molded casings having deformable walls, wherein the bearing is firmly supported without separate retainers upon tightening tension members to deform one of the casing configurations into conformity with the bearing outer race.
2. Description of the Related Art
Anti-friction bearings, such as ball bearings, supported within cast or molded casings such as transmission casings, usually employ annular retainers circumscribing the bearing outer race located between the bearing outer race and the bearing receiving recesses located within the casting parts to compensate for manufacturing tolerances occurring within the casing parts. Such retainers may take the from of bushings, sleeves or rings. The use of such bearing retainers is especially required with light duty cast transmissions such as used with lawn and garden equipment, for instance in the head of a grass trimmer. Such light duty transmissions are usually cast of aluminum or similar metal and the transmission casing consists of two sections or halves bolted together after the interior components are assembled. Manufacturing tolerances, or inaccuracies, existing in the casings may prevent the anti-friction bearings from being firmly held within their associated recesses defined in the casings. Accordingly, it is conventional practice to use flexible or deformable annular retainers surrounding the bearings, outer race for location between the outer race and casing recesses to permit the bearing to be firmly frictionally supported within the casings. Such retainers may take the form of split annular bushings such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,772,127. Also, it is known to use "wrap around" supports for bearings, particularly sleeve bearings, wherein the tightening of a screw or bolt draws the support around a circumferential portion of the bearing as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,560,115 and 2,638,429. However, such "wrap around" bearing supports are not usable with bolt together casings, and the use of retainers, split bushings, split sleeves and rings and the like to permit anti-friction bearings to be firmly supported within two-part supports or casings adds additional expense to the assembly of bearings within such casings, and may result in inaccuracies in the support of the bearings within the casing.